Swiss Nightclub Fire in Crans-Montana: No Portuguese Fatalities, One Missing

Anxious families in Portugal are waking up to reassuring—but still incomplete—news from the Swiss Alps. Three days after a ferocious New Year’s Eve blaze ripped through the Le Constellation nightclub in Crans-Montana, officials in Lisbon confirm that no Portuguese fatalities have been identified. One young woman from Santa Maria da Feira remains missing, while a single Portuguese national is among the 115 injured.

Situation at a glance

• 40 confirmed dead, toll may rise as forensics progress

• 1 Portuguese citizen hospitalised, prognosis stable

• 22-year-old Portuguese woman unaccounted for, search ongoing

• Consular hotlines active in Geneva, Bern and Lisbon

• Early probe blames table-top pyrotechnics for igniting a flammable acoustic ceiling

The night snow and flames collided

What began as a routine après-ski celebration turned catastrophic minutes after midnight on 31 December. Witnesses describe staff parading champagne magnums fitted with sparkling flares through the packed basement bar. Within seconds, the low foam-lined ceiling caught fire, unleashing a plume of toxic smoke that swept both storeys. Videos circulating on Swiss media show revellers smashing windows with barstools in a frantic bid to escape, while firefighters needed almost three hours to tame the blaze amid sub-zero temperatures.

The Portuguese angle: confirmed facts, open questions

Portugal’s Foreign Ministry states that, as of early Saturday, “there is no indication of Portuguese victims among the deceased.” DNA tests continue, so officials are wary of ruling anything out too soon. The missing 22-year-old had told her parents she would ring in 2026 with three Swiss friends—those friends are also still listed as missing. Separately, a Portuguese-Swiss dual national suffered smoke inhalation but is now conscious in Sion’s cantonal hospital.

Numbers help frame the concern: roughly 275 000 Portuguese nationals live in Switzerland, several thousand in Valais canton alone, many employed in tourism and construction. Local community groups have organised car-share runs to hospitals and translation support for families arriving from Portugal.

Need to trace someone? Here are the official channels

Relatives without news of a loved one can:

Call Switzerland’s central victim line: +41 848 112 117

Email Portugal’s consulate in Geneva at consulado.genebra@mne.pt with the person’s full name and ID number

Ring the emergency mobiles: +41 76 361 39 48 or +41 79 324 25 05

In Portugal, contact the Gabinete de Emergência Consular on +351 961 706 472

Authorities urge callers to prepare basic data—date of birth, recent photos, possible companions—to speed identification.

Investigators dig into liability

Early forensic work points to pyrotechnic “sparklers” clipped to champagne bottles as the ignition source. Under Swiss fire code, indoor use of such devices is legal only if the ceiling is at least 3 m high and free of combustible insulation—Le Constellation met neither condition. Prosecutors are now examining possible negligent homicide charges against the bar’s owners and event organisers. Police seized purchase receipts suggesting the flares were imported from Italy without the required safety certification.

Tourism on edge as ski season peaks

Crans-Montana, a resort that counts many Portuguese seasonal workers, faces a reputational blow just as January bookings typically soar. Hoteliers report a wave of cancellations from French and German guests. The local mayor has announced free fire-safety audits for every nightlife venue in town, while ski-lift operators plan a moment of silence on Sunday before opening runs.

What comes next

Portuguese diplomats will stay stationed in Valais “until every compatriot is either accounted for or laid to rest,” the embassy said. Geneva’s consul-general plans a community briefing via livestream on Monday evening. Back home, the Santa Maria da Feira municipality has set up psychological support for the missing woman’s relatives.

For now, the message to worried families is cautiously optimistic: no Portuguese names appear on the list of 40 dead. Yet with morgue identifications advancing slowly, definitive closure may still be days away. Portuguese officials vow to keep the phone lines open—and the public informed—round the clock.